


Undivided Attention

by Waynesgrayson



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-24
Updated: 2015-05-24
Packaged: 2018-04-01 01:20:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4000540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waynesgrayson/pseuds/Waynesgrayson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Judith is surprisingly still awake. Her head lolling on his chest as she fights sleep. Every once in a while she'll look up at him as if making sure he's still there, her little fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt, pulling it over and over like a kitten would when trying to make its owner comfortable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Undivided Attention

**Author's Note:**

> Well hey there! Sorry I have been gone for so long, I started college in April and have been mega busy. But my first term ended Friday and I have a long weekend, so I thought I'd get something out.

The sky hasn't been the same since the turn. The days are too bright, and the sky can't really be classified as blue anymore. It's more white; loud and headache inducing.

The nights are still the same though. The white slowly being replaced by pinks and yellows before black descends completely, blanketing the sun and its rays with the coolness of the moon.

Stars are rare, even out in the open as they so often are. But when they make themselves known it's cause for excitement. The adults pointing them out and some being able to name them, watching in tear-filled happiness at seeing child like wonder appear in their children's hardened eyes.

They can't always have days like today. Days where things can be put on hold, allowing everyone to breathe. Days of rest. But they do need them. Need to play with their children and talk to one another about things besides where their next meal is coming from, or how they plan on making the prison safer.

The sun is setting along the horizon, bringing in those pinks and yellows, black inching in around the skies edges. A fire is crackling softly, the sound of popping embers muted under conversation and laughter. They really should be quiet. They all know the attractions such noise receives, but they can't help themselves; they're only human, and they need this.

Rick is sitting farther away from the cluster the group has made. He's content with watching their happiness and socializing, especially when he has Judith excitedly pointing things out to him. She's sitting in his lap, holding a piece of rabbit meat in a tight fist, squeezing it between her fingers as she babbles out sounds and shrieks.

She's bouncing in his lap, watching everyone in front of her like a hawk as she mindlessly puts her fingers in her mouth, trying her best to chew the meat.

She watches him too, messy fingers reaching up and touching his face while nonsensical noises leave her lips as she babbles to him about something or other, her eyes wide as she does.

This time, she shoves a fist full of mushed up meat in his face, letting out a loud shriek to get his attention.

“That for me? You sharin' with me? You feedin' daddy?” He laughs, and she watches with an awed expression as he nibbles on her fingers with his lips, little gasps of laughter bubbling up as he does so.

It doesn't take long for the moon to replace the sun, and with its arrival sends many wandering back to the light of the prison. Rick can't blame them, as safe as they are the night is still too much for most to handle.

Carl is now curled up against him, having made his way over to the pair when the sun finally set. Rick's old hat is covering his face and Rick is positive he's asleep, but he isn't about to send him away. The rush of love and affection that fills him in this moment is too much. They don't have a lot of time for moments like this, just the three of them, and Rick isn't about to break it up over something as senseless as bed-time.

Judith is surprisingly still awake. Her head lolling on his chest as she fights sleep. Every once in a while she'll look up at him as if making sure he's still there, her little fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt, pulling it over and over like a kitten would when trying to make its owner comfortable.

He kisses the top of her head and smiles when she looks up, her eyes wide yet tired as she reaches up to touch his face. She coos when he kisses her fingers.

Rick looks up at the sounds of footfalls. Michonne and Carol are making their way over, walking side by side, bumping shoulders. They ungracefully flop on the ground, leaning on each other as they do. They smile in greeting, casting looks of fondness towards Carl and Judith before continuing their conversation.

It doesn't take long for the rest of the group to join. Maggie laying her head in Glenn's lap, talking to Daryl who has taken a seat on the other side of Glenn. Sasha and Beth sitting together and talking quietly, Tyreese next to Sasha.

They talk. Rick doesn't, but he doesn't feel the need to. He finds peace and comfort in hearing their voices around him, and the warmth of his children around him, safe and content.

Judith is squirming now, trying to turn so she can face everyone. She's babbling adamantly again, humming and touching his face, wanting his attention. He doesn't understand why she won't settle.

Though he's ignoring her for the most part. Only nodding and looking at her for a moment before turning back to the others, willing to let her pull at his shirt or beard until she grows too tired to even try and stay awake. But his attempts at ignoring her until she gives up are not working tonight. Especially since her attempts at getting his attention have became louder and involving more movement. He doesn't know why she thought trying to crawl on his shoulder would change anything, but there she was trying to hoist herself up, grabbing onto the side of his face and pulling at his hair.

He lets her do it regardless, wincing and rearranging her without breaking the conversation around him, or waking Carl.

And then he hears it.

His ears start to ring and his head feels disconnected from the rest of his body.

Lightheaded.

He can feel himself freeze as well as the eyes of the others around him. His heart is pounding too hard and too fast and he feels his throat close up and the beginnings of tears welling up in his eyes. He looks down and immediately his face is captured between two chubby hands, Judith's lips moving as she moves forward to mouth at his nose. She pulls back, a string of slobber connecting his nose and her mouth and she watches him, slightly crossed-eyed, before touching his nose. She looks at him with a stern expression that babies master before anything else and wiggles around in his grip.

“Dada!” she yells again, and he breaks.

Rick cries.

He cries like he hasn't in months.

He cries and he pulls Judith into his chest and pulls Carl closer to him. He kisses their heads in turn until Carl stirs a bit and Judith rests her head on his chest, fingers again playing with his shirt.

He thinks of the first time Carl called him dada and it only makes it that much harder to breathe, but he's so happy and overwhelmed that he doesn't care.

He can feel the looks of everyone around him and part of him wants them to look away and give him this moment alone, but he doesn't want that. He wants to share this with everyone. Wants to shout and laugh and hold his children until they have to be pried from his grip.

Then he thinks about how he'll never be able to properly document her and Carl's growth. How Glenn's camera will eventually die and the handful of Polaroids they have of themselves and those once with them is all his children will have one day. That, and an empty gun and a blood covered blade. That Judith will never know anything other than death and smoke, and that there is a chance she'll never grow knowing him or any of the others. That he will die, but not before making sure his children have the best chance for survival.

“I love you two so much. So, so much.”

**Author's Note:**

> All the Judith and Rick scenes in 5x11 gave me life. I really hope they give us a scene in which she says her first words, or starts walking, or something happy. Literally anything happy would be nice.
> 
> This was done pretty quick, so I apologize for any mistakes.
> 
> http://waynesgrayson.tumblr.com/


End file.
